Producción hidropónica de Lactuca sativa var. Seda bajo tres distancias entre plantas mediante sistemas NFT establecidos dentro y fuera de invernadero

Abstract

Hydroponic farming is a technique used to increase the productivity and quality of crops in reduced spaces, the present study focuses on the hydroponic production of Lactuca sativa var. Seda, under different distances between plants using the nutrient film technique (NFT) established both inside and outside the greenhouse. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of three plant distances (21 cm, 16 cm y 11 cm) on lettuce production, as well as to compare the results between indoor and outdoor crops. The studied variables were: variables of plant growth (plant height and number of leaves) and variables of crop yield (fresh and dry weight). Statistical analysis of the data revealed statistically significant differences between the distances. The treatment with greater distance presented a higher yield in general. When comparing the crops inside and outside the greenhouse, statistical differences were exhibited in most of the studied variables, nevertheless, the most relevant differences were those where the crop was developed without the greenhouse due to its highest values of fresh weight, an important variable for commercialization. Regarding the different distances between plants. These results highlight the importance of considering both the use or not of cover and planting density when designing hydroponic systems for lettuce production